I’m looking to replace my electric coil range, which occasionally doesn’t bother to heat, with a new flat-top range/oven.
First of all, has anyone had problems with these vs. coils? Also, some of the more pricey models have a larger burner area plus a “warming burner” and I’m not sure it’s worth the money. Doesn’t the pan spread the heat pretty evenly? Or is it worth the extra $200 (I can do that if I have to) to get the larger burner area? I don’t want to be complaining for 20 years that I shouldn’t have been so cheap back in '02, but I also don’t want to spend an unnecessary $200.
Can you use a cast-iron skillet on one of those tops?
Thanks in advance for any quick advice. (Note: info/opinions on gas stoves aren’t useful, as I don’t have a gas hookup in my house. Thankew.)
Almost all my experience is with gas ranges and cooktops but I have dealt with a few electric ones in my time.
The thing I have found is that with electric cooktops, there is a bog difference in quality the more money you spend. You will get a better heating surface, a stronger plate, more dependable heating units with a more expensive model.
That said, the thing to look for is the warranty and the BTU capacity of the burners. You can use a cast iron pan but it will take a while to heat up. What I recommend is that you heat your oven to 500 or so, heat the pan in there then transfer it to the cooktop. Warming burners are nice but I dont know if they are worth all the extra money.
I’d spend more for a basic better brand than to get a loaded model of a lesser quality unit.
I was going to tell you to check out Fisher Paykel, but they only offer a 24" model. The currently available Bosch models are simply last years’ Thermador designs (they are owned by the smae parent CO) yet they are several hundred dollars cheaper than the Thermador. That’s what I would look at.
Hmm, on review, whats your budget?? That can make wuite a difference and my experience is with the upper end models mostly.
We had to replace our entire electric stove/oven combo a couple of months ago. We had the option of getting either a coiled (which was just died) or the newer, more expensive smooth tops. I asked around among friends who owned the flat tops and did significant research.
We ended up staying with coils. The smooth tops just don’t get quite as hot as a good coil element does–at least 1-2,000 watts less. That matters to us as we like to keep the pasta water boiling non-stop and also enjoy stir-frying. I also heard stories about the hassle of cleaning burnt-on food residues (you really have to use a single-edge razor) and the fragility of the glass tops–they can break if you drop a heavy can or jar on them.
The coils may not look as modern, but most kitchens don’t after a year anyway.
Only other advice is get a powerful electric stove if your budget permits–we decided against gas (which we had in another home three years ago, and would have been easy to extend to our kitchen as our heat is gas now) because we liked the heat performance of a good electric model.
Thanks, folks. We did get a flat-top, I’ll see how it works. I’m a home cook–I like making my own stuff, using fresh ingredients and trying new recipes, etc. I don’t throw dinner parties for 20, and I don’t cook out of cans/freezer all the time. Somewhere between Oysters Rockefeller and Cold Beans from the Can.
Couldn’t resist the flat concept, since my old coil job tilted the pans pretty badly. All the food slid to one side…very annoying. Also, the heat tended to shut off for no particular reason. And the oven burned at the wrong temperature. And the broiler sometimes heated, sometimes didn’t… Guess I was just ready for a functional range.
Geoduck–(wotta image)–I have an electric wok, courtesy of my mother, for stir-frying. I turn pasta water down to light boil (med hi on my old range), so I guess that’ll be OK.
K2Dave–I would certainly go for gas if I could. The point of the OP is that I can’t, unless I move to a different neighborhood. It’s electric or fireplace. (I do have a portable gas grill, so am I a cook now?)
Got the GE (good brand, per Consumer Reports) base model. Still has some nice goodies…digital temp setting for the oven, 2 timers, etc. I’ll let y’all know how it works. Planning to test it out as soon as we get it plugged in and working.
Just want to point out even if you don’t have natural gas you could most likely get LP gas delivered - but I see you allready made the plunge - good luck - and use a level setting that thing.
Just to pick a nit here, my mother is a caterer. She has a flat top stove. She loves it. No, it’s not for show - she’s definitely a serious cook. Hers has two instantly-hot burners (halogen? I can’t remember) but I don’t think she has the warming feature. Regardless, they’re not all for show.
Under most circumstances they are a dream to clean. Wait for it to cool off, then just wipe down with a sponge. If you drip food directly on top of a burner while it’s hot, it’s a bit more difficult. A single edged razor will scrape the burnt stuff right off, though.
Every once in a while hit it with the polish, and it looks great.
I do find that mine heats up a little slowly, but I wouldn’t trade it for a different type of electric.
FairyChatMom did you ask her in response to this thread? I would be interested in your mom’s opinion on gas stoves flat top and electric coil stoves and which would be better for serious cooks.
Oh, I do have a cast iron skillet, and it seems to work fine with the flattop. I would avoid a lot of shaking back and forth, though, cast iron is very hard, I would expect it to scratch.
ratatoskK I knew one burnt hotter then the other (wasn’t sure which one) but in high end cooking equ the burners are ajsuted to give apx the same btu’s
Well, the burners heat quickly on mine (about 6 seconds to red-hot). The water in the kettle boils much faster than on my old coil stove, but remember that the old one didn’t work very well–which is why I replaced it.
Interesting thing, though–on the old coils, a setting of “medium” would heat the coil to a medium heat, which would be (should be) maintained. A setting of “high” made the coil cherry red.
But on the new flat-top, a setting of “3” (out of 10, I think–I’m not looking at it right now) gives a red-hot coil for 3 seconds, off for 8 seconds, repeat cycle indefinitely. Is this meant to save energy? Why does it do this? I could ask the company, but thought one of the gourmets on the SDMB might know offhand…
yeah, DDG, I know. I’ll google it tomorrow.
And, K2Dave, we used a level (but thanks for the hint). I’m really really tired of my food sliding around. Also, we double-checked the level with a small marble, just to be sure.
Tomorrow–cookies! (To check the oven, of course!) Meringues first, then choc chips with dried cherries. Just to check.
In the evening, dinner will be Alaska salmon fillets done under the broiler (just checkin’).
The new ones have adjustments on the feet, so levelling is very easy. We did it in just a few minutes. I am in the process of throwing away the few warped pans I had…never noticed QUITE how warped they were until I got the major wobble on the flat-top.
BTW, I read that I can use a porcelain-clad cast-iron skillet on this stove (in the manufacturer’s info). Guess that’s my next big purchase!
The broiled fish was fine, the meringues were done perfectly–although I didn’t whip enough, so the interiors of some were hollow–but the bottoms didn’t brown, which is proper. Next batch will have no cocoa powder in them, so I can judge how dark they get. Didn’t get around to the other cookies yet.
Smoothtops are wonderful. When I was in appliance sales, they were the ONLY type of electric range I would recommend, and also the only type I would use at home.
Don’t worry about the heat zones cycling on and off during use; they’re thermostatically controlled, and this is how they maintain their selected temperature. Today’s smoothtops are much more responsive than older versions, and they do heat consistently.
If you ever spill fat or any sugar solution onto the glass while cooking, switch off and wipe up immediately. They have a higher boiling point, and if left to burn on, can cause discolouration.
Should you have something burn onto the glass, you don’t necessarily have to resort to using the scraper. Instead, allow the range to cool completely, wet a dishtowel under the tap and wring it out. Lay it down over the soiled area and leave it overnight to soften the crud. I do this all the time, and most things wipe away easily the following morning.
Only thing I wouldn’t recommend a smoothtop for is deep frying; having said that, I don’t think it’s a good idea to deep fry on any range, as an electric deep fryer is a much safer bet. As for stir-frying, good results can be achieved if you purchase a special flat-bottomed wok. Regular round-bottomed woks are crap on smoothtops, because they don’t have enough contact with the heat zone. ALL pans must be completely flat-bottomed in order to work at their best.
